Garbage can holder



lMarch 22, 1938., M. HANEY ET AL GARBAGE CAN HOLDER Filed Jan. 9, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet l red March 22, 1938. MHANEY ET' AL 2,112,155

GARBAGE CAN HOLDER Filed Jan. 9. 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' 3mm M HazmePiggy/(El erw/ogre Patented Mar. 22,1938 v l UNITED STATES amiss GARBAGECAN HOLDER Mack Haney and Fred E. Lempke, Pontiac, Mich.

Application January 9, 1936, Serial No. 58,377

. 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved device for holding a garbage canso as tov prevent acci-- dental upsetting thereof, as by means of dogsand cats attempting to gain access to the contents of the garbage can.

'Ihe primary object of the present invention is to provide a garbage canholder of the above kind which is extremely simple and durable inconstruction and eicient in use.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a deviceof the above kind which is readily adjustable for use with garbage cansof different sizes, both in horizontal cross section and verticalheight.

A further and more specic object of. the present invention is to providea device of the above kind embodying hold-down elements having hookmembers adapted fto engage over the upper edge of the body of a garbagecan to prevent upsetting of the latter, and constructed to frictionallyengage the lid of the garbage can to prevent accidental displacement orremoval of the latter.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational View of a garbage can holder constructed inaccordance with the present invention, and showing the same as itappears in use.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3l is a fragmentary vertical section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.-

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of thehold-down elements forming part of the device Shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the securing sleevesused to maintain adjustments of the connecting straps of the hold-downelements.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present garbage can holder isillustrated as embodying a horizontal base upon which the garbage can isadapted to be placed as indicated by dotted lines at 5, such base havinga plurality of rigidly connected radial arms 6 disposed in uniformlyspaced relation. Slidably connected with 'each arm 6 of the supportingbase, for adjustment longitudinally'of said arms or horizontally, is ahold-down element including a hook member 1 adapted to engage over theupper edge of the body of the garbage can 5. The hold-down elements arethus adjustable laterally or horiaontally with respect to each other sothat the holder may be adapted to garbage cans of varying diameters inhorizontal sectionfand it will be seen that when the hook members 'I ofall of the hold-down elements are engaged over the upper edge of thegarbage can body, said garbage can will be securely held down upon thesupport-V ing base and effectively prevented from being accidentallyupset. Y y

The supporting base is shown as constructed of two elongated memberscrossed intermediate their ends and firmly secured together at the pointwhere they cross each other, so that each base member provides two ofthe arms 6. Each elongated base member is preferably constructed ofapiece of, relatively stiff wire in the form of an'open elongated loophaving spaced parallel side portions connected at their outer ends bytransverse connecting portions 8. The parallel side portions of eachbase member are lconnected intermediate the ends of the latter by meansof a metallic plate 9' having' its ends rolled around said parallel sideportions of the base member as at lll, the plates 9 being firmly boltedtogether in superposed relation as at II. c

Each hold-down element consists of an elongated strip of thin highlyflexible metal I2 having one end overlapped upon and secured to theshank of the associated hook member 'I by welding or the like, the otheror lower end of the strip I2 being attached Yto a slide member I3adjustable longitudinally on the associated arm 6 of the supportingbase. Each slide member I3 preferably consists of a piece of wire bentintermediate its ends in the form of a U-shaped loop and having the endsthereof bent in the form of closely wound tubular helical coils I4loosely engaging the side portions of the associated arm E of the base.The lower end of metal strip I2 is bent around the intermediate loop ofslide member I3 and then flatly disposed against the adjacentintermediate portion of said strip I2 where it is secured by a securingsleeve I5 slidably arranged on the strip I2. 'Ihe strip I2 thus forms aconnecting strap between the hook member 'I and the slide member I3 ofthe hold-down element, said connecting strap being adjustable in lengthto vary the height of the hook member I so that it may be engaged overthe upper edges of garbage cans of various heights, Obviously, by simplysliding the sleeve l5 upwardly olf of the return-bent lower end of.strip I2, the latter may be pulled or slackened to effect thisadjustment; When the hook member 1v has been brought into engagementWijh the upper edge of the garbage can with the latter tightly held downupon the base, the securing sleeve I5 may be slid downwardly to maintainthe adjustment of the strip I2 as shown in Figure 1. Prior to this, theslide members I3 are of course adjusted radially of arms 5 so as tooccupy positions close to the adjacent sides oi the garbage can 5. Whenthe straps I2 are adjusted and secured by the sleeves I5, they willexert an upward pull upon the intermediate loop portions of the slidesI3 and thereby prevent outward horizontal displacement of said slidemembers I3. Obviously,

an upward pull on the intermediate loop portions of slides I 3 causesthe tubular coiled end portions I4 of said slide members to be cantedfor binding engagement with the parallel side portions of the arms 6 sothat accidental displacement of said slide members I3 longitudinally ofthe arms 6 is prevented.

Garbage cans usually are provided with loose tting covers as generallyindicated by dotted lines at I6, in Figure 1. In order to preventaccidental displacement or removal of such loose fitting covers, thehook members 'I are preferably of the special specific constructionshown in Figures l and 4. As shown, each hook member 'I is constructedfrom a single strip of relatively stiff spring metal to provide one endportion in the form of a straight shank attached to the upper end ofstrip I2, the other end being returnbent and shaped to provide a billI'I to engage over the upper edge of the body of the garbage can 5, andan outer free terminal I8 spaced from the upper end of the shank andnormally tensioned to spring outwardly into frictional engagement withthe inner surface of the rim of cover I 6 to rictionally hold the latterin place upon the top of the garbage can. Trie gripping action ofterminal I8 may be reinforced by means of a resilient block of rubber orthe like arranged as at I9 between said terminal 8 and the opposedportions of the shank Vof hook member l. The block I9 may b'e held inplace in any preferred or suitable manner.

The use of the present holder, insofar as engagement thereof with thegarbage can is ccncerned, has been clearly explained above. When thesleeves I5 are slid upwardly so as to release the return-bent lower endsof straps I2, said straps may be extended for engagement with a can ofgreater height. However, in the normal use of the device with aparticular can, the hook members 1 may be simply manually sprung out ofengagement with the'upper edge of the can without releasing the sleevesI5 and extending the straps I2. As the supporting base is maderelatively large so that the arms 6 project considerably beyond thesides of the larger sized garbage can, it will be seen that said basewill properly serve to prevent upsetting of the can when held downthereon.

It will be seen that the present holder is of simple construction, easyto manipulate or place in use, and economical to manufacture. While Wehave described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be.obvious to one skilled in the art that certain minor changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.For instance, a simpler and satisfactory device may consist of a singlebase member and two hold-down elements, the other base member and itsassociated hold-down elements being omitted. Also, the strips I2 andhooks 'I of one base member'may be omitted, the slide members I3 of thatbase member being merely adjusted against opposite sides of the garbagecan at the bottom of the latter to aid in holding said can in place onthe base.

What we claim as new is:

. 1. Ina garbage canv holder of the character described, a supportingbase, slides adjustable radially of said supporting base in a horizontalplane, flexible metallic straps connected at their lower end portions tosaid slides so that the length of the straps may be adjusted, and hookspermanently attached to the upper ends of said straps for engagementover the upper edge of a garbage can, said'supporting base comprising apair of centrally crossed members fastened together at the pointwherethey cross each other to provide a plurality of spaced radial armseach crossed member consisting of an elongated Wire loop having parallelside portions, each vof said slides comprising an .open wire loop havingends in the form of tubular helices loosely engaged with the sideportions of an arm of said base,

V2'. In a garbage can'holder of the character described, a supportingbase having a plurality of spaced radial arms, slides adjustableradially of said supporting base in a horizontal plane, said supportingbase comprising a pair of centrally crossed members fastened together atthe point where they cross each other and each consisting of anelongated wire loop having parallel side portions, each of said slidescomprising an open Wire loop having ends in the form of tubular helicesloosely engaged with the side portions of an arm of said base, andcan-engaging holddown elements attached to said slides.

MACK HANEY. FRED E. LEMPKE.

